Collingwood and The Blue Mountains OPP has charged two Quebec residents in relation to emergency/grandparent scams.
Police began two separate investigations Tuesday. One victim was contacted by someone pretending to be a grandson. In the second incident, the person claimed to be a nephew.
“Both victims then spoke to the same individual (once claiming to be a lawyer), who attempted to collect $7,000,” police stated in a news release. “It was arranged to have a bailiff attend both residences to collect the funds. Since scams were suspected, both victims contacted police. Later that same day, two individuals were arrested and charged.”
An 18-year-old resident of Laval and a 19-year-old resident of Sainte-Thérèse have each been charged with two counts of fraud over $5,000. They were held for a bail hearing.
“Thankfully, due to the victims’ quick thinking and the OPP proactively raising awareness amongst seniors throughout the Collingwood area, the suspects were unable to complete the scams,” police said.
More information on this scam and other types of scams can be found here.
Scam and fraud attempts can be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.
